diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c
index f44d4ea6211..461e97b7c4e 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.c
@@ -633,7 +633,6 @@ vn_ring_submit_command(struct vn_ring *ring,
    vn_cs_encoder_commit(&submit->command);
 
    size_t reply_offset = 0;
-   submit->reply_shmem = NULL;
    if (submit->reply_size) {
       submit->reply_shmem = vn_instance_reply_shmem_alloc(
          ring->instance, submit->reply_size, &reply_offset);
@@ -653,11 +652,16 @@ vn_ring_submit_command(struct vn_ring *ring,
    mtx_unlock(&ring->mutex);
 
    if (submit->reply_size) {
-      void *reply_ptr = submit->reply_shmem->mmap_ptr + reply_offset;
-      submit->reply =
-         VN_CS_DECODER_INITIALIZER(reply_ptr, submit->reply_size);
-      if (submit->ring_seqno_valid)
+      if (likely(submit->ring_seqno_valid)) {
+         void *reply_ptr = submit->reply_shmem->mmap_ptr + reply_offset;
+         submit->reply =
+            VN_CS_DECODER_INITIALIZER(reply_ptr, submit->reply_size);
          vn_ring_wait_seqno(ring, submit->ring_seqno);
+      } else {
+         vn_renderer_shmem_unref(ring->instance->renderer,
+                                 submit->reply_shmem);
+         submit->reply_shmem = NULL;
+      }
    }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h
index a3961cdc965..b452e77ebbb 100644
--- a/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h
+++ b/src/virtio/vulkan/vn_ring.h
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ struct vn_ring_submit_command {
    struct vn_renderer_shmem *reply_shmem;
    struct vn_cs_decoder reply;
 
-   /* valid when instance ring submission succeeds */
+   /* valid when ring submission succeeds */
    bool ring_seqno_valid;
    uint32_t ring_seqno;
 };
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ vn_ring_submit_command_init(struct vn_ring *ring,
    submit->reply_size = reply_size;
    submit->reply_shmem = NULL;
 
+   submit->ring_seqno_valid = false;
+
    return &submit->command;
 }